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Holy crap you're kidding, right? No, of course you're not. But seriously, I couldn't eat that much food in a WEEK, much less a single day...

Having seen a few eating that much and building muscles, I am guessing it must be good in that aspect. (but, the cost may not be tasty, such as generating additional fat during the process) Instead of eating a chicken, maybe eating 5-can of tuna might be a better idea.

If you had included the first part of that sentence, you could have seen that, I was actually talking about a 1-hour cardio, with a result of burning 900-1000 calories each time. Imagine you are doing that 6 times a week. In my experience, that is pretty powerful workout.

You are expected to intake nearly 2000 calories a day (if you are a male), add 1000 gap created by that exercise, and you may be allowed to eat 3000 calories a day. As long as you continue your exercise, you are allowed to eat such things (still, you don't need to exaggerate the eating part). Cardio is also not just about burning calories, it lets you gain more than that.

Whether it's an hour or half an hour, it's irrelevant. You can still eat a thousand calories faster than you can burn them through exercise. That's why diet matters more, it completely determines your intake.

Anyway, I don't think we're talking about the same issue here. You are concerned with losing weight. I am concerned with gaining weight.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spectacular_Insanity

Holy crap you're kidding, right? No, of course you're not. But seriously, I couldn't eat that much food in a WEEK, much less a single day...

I didn't mean all of that food on the list, only one line per day. The entire list is about 5 days worth, so yeah, about a week of food.

all this talk about fitness on this forum has got me pumped up, so ive decided to finally hit the gym again tommorow , after a 10 month break.. so, id like to ask for advice from you guys

heres what i need advice in -

most importantly - how to build pectorals - i would say benchpress was the most effective, but a couple of posts ive read here might make me want to believe otherwise ( if that was the intention ). ive done plenty plenty of pushups but never really had any major gains.

secondly the absolute lower portion of the abdominals. despite what people say, abdominals dont develop all together. my upper abdominals are very well developed, while the lower portion just refuses to develop at all.

A narrower grip (and many people naturally grab the bar too narrow) works the triceps more.

I do bench -- I just don't think it contributes as much to usable strength as squats and deads.

For lower abs? Probably leg lifts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Papaya

If you can't find a partner to help you (try asking a random guy in the gym; most are very willing to help you out, especially the guys sitting around), then try using either the Smith Press or even a machine press. The Smith Press is very safe, assuming you load the safety locks appropriately (right above your chest, as low as possible without letting the bar touch you), and the machine press is of course very safe as well. The upside to the machine press is that you can very quickly change weight for drop sets. Don't listen to the hype that barbell presses are more effective than machine presses. A recent study (don't ask me to source--I saw it in Muscle and Fitness I believe, not sure) showed that machine and bar don't really give that different of outcomes when it comes to strength.

I disagree.

In order to use free weights, you have to use secondary muscles.

Compare the leg press machine to the squat:

You're working more muscles at once, but more importantly, you're coaching your body to act as a cohesive unit.

It's the same with bench, though it's a bit harder to visualize. A machine -- notably the Smith -- keeps you on a path, so you don't have to rely on shoulder muscles to stabilize the bar. So that means no shoulders, and I think reduced bicep work.

In terms of usable, functional strength machines are highly inferior, as your body comes to rely on an outside force to shape the direction of the movement.

Free weights -- it's all you.

That said, if you're starting out a new exercise machines don't hurt. But get off it as soon as possible.

all this talk about fitness on this forum has got me pumped up, so ive decided to finally hit the gym again tommorow , after a 10 month break.. so, id like to ask for advice from you guys

heres what i need advice in -

most importantly - how to build pectorals - i would say benchpress was the most effective, but a couple of posts ive read here might make me want to believe otherwise ( if that was the intention ). ive done plenty plenty of pushups but never really had any major gains.

secondly the absolute lower portion of the abdominals. despite what people say, abdominals dont develop all together. my upper abdominals are very well developed, while the lower portion just refuses to develop at all.

if you guys could guys could give any inputs itd be much appreciated

Raikage covered most of it, so I'll just give a few extra pointers.

Pecs:
For mass building, I would actually suggest normal benches, with the forearms perpendicular to the bar. This is the form that emphasizes chest. A wide-grip press actually works the chest unevenly. It's not as good of a mass-building exercise because typically, a person can't press as much with a wide grip as he could with a normal grip. Wide-grip presses are a much more advanced exercise that build your outer pectorals. That's how bodybuilders get the square pecs.

Abs:
If your upper abs are ripped, and your lower abs aren't, get in front of a mirror and jump a few times. Is there fat covering the lower abs?

Quote:

Originally Posted by raikage

To build pecs? Wide-grip bench press.

A narrower grip (and many people naturally grab the bar too narrow) works the triceps more.

I do bench -- I just don't think it contributes as much to usable strength as squats and deads.

For lower abs? Probably leg lifts.

I disagree.

In order to use free weights, you have to use secondary muscles.

Compare the leg press machine to the squat:

You're working more muscles at once, but more importantly, you're coaching your body to act as a cohesive unit.

It's the same with bench, though it's a bit harder to visualize. A machine -- notably the Smith -- keeps you on a path, so you don't have to rely on shoulder muscles to stabilize the bar. So that means no shoulders, and I think reduced bicep work.

In terms of usable, functional strength machines are highly inferior, as your body comes to rely on an outside force to shape the direction of the movement.

Free weights -- it's all you.

That said, if you're starting out a new exercise machines don't hurt. But get off it as soon as possible.

That's true you don't utilize secondary and stabilizer muscles, but that also means that your primary targeted muscles are picking up the majority of the load. So, if you're doing a machine bench, that means your chest is taking most of the load, which could be what you want =P

Much of the stabilizing during a bar exercise actually comes from deviation of form though. With a machine exercise, your form stays perfect throughout, making the exercise actually more difficult in that you have less muscles to utilize.

Abs:
If your upper abs are ripped, and your lower abs aren't, get in front of a mirror and jump a few times. Is there fat covering the lower abs?

ah.. i think i see what you mean. i didnt notice it at first cos nothing looked particularly different. but upon landing the cut becomes more visible.. ah man looks like i have my work cutout for me now lol

Whether it's an hour or half an hour, it's irrelevant. You can still eat a thousand calories faster than you can burn them through exercise. That's why diet matters more, it completely determines your intake.

Diet typically determines the type of intake, not just the thintake. And, exercise is relevant, because sometimes doing extra exercises is better than giving up the type of food you like (and that is also the better way to gain healthy weight, doing exercises I mean).

Quote:

Anyway, I don't think we're talking about the same issue here. You are concerned with losing weight. I am concerned with gaining weight.

I was talking about diet vs exercise. The matter of you gaining or losing weight was not the main concern in your post. At least the one that was a reply to mine.

ah.. i think i see what you mean. i didnt notice it at first cos nothing looked particularly different. but upon landing the cut becomes more visible.. ah man looks like i have my work cutout for me now lol

Indeed, though of course it wouldn't hurt to do more lower ab exercises.

Leg lifts have already been mentioned. You can also try out jackknife situps for a full ab workout, and hanging leg lifts if you're feeling particularly masochistic.

Life is easy for one with a high metabolism. I eat more than anybody in my family yet I never seem to put on any weight, and am also the smallest for my age. I doubt that is just because I do not drink milk. I could eat barrels full of food daily and not gain anything. It is lucky, but not when you want to bulk up a couple of tones.

Some people have trouble losing weight, and I have really big difficulties putting it on. I walk everyday too so I must be walking off all of the calories and such that I am putting on during the day. It is am hours walk to college for me everyday and once there I do lots of sports etc. Therefore, everything that I put on I then lose. Whats more is my extremely high metabolism which makes it even harder. Does not matter how much I eat, even though I eat more than any overweight person. People say that I am lucky that I hardly put on anything as I always keep the same slim figure. But I do a lot of physical excersise due to my college course.

Life is easy for one with a high metabolism. I eat more than anybody in my family yet I never seem to put on any weight, and am also the smallest for my age. I doubt that is just because I do not drink milk. I could eat barrels full of food daily and not gain anything. It is lucky, but not when you want to bulk up a couple of tones.

Some people have trouble losing weight, and I have really big difficulties putting it on. I walk everyday too so I must be walking off all of the calories and such that I am putting on during the day. It is am hours walk to college for me everyday and once there I do lots of sports etc. Therefore, everything that I put on I then lose. Whats more is my extremely high metabolism which makes it even harder. Does not matter how much I eat, even though I eat more than any overweight person. People say that I am lucky that I hardly put on anything as I always keep the same slim figure. But I do a lot of physical excersise due to my college course.

I am doing a Public Service course which requires a lot of physical activity. I have just finished one year and I am definitely a lot more healthy than I was when I joined, and even then I was still a little active and fit. The course has done something for me so far, it may have something to do with the 10 mile walks and 6 mile runs. I do feel fitter after a day at college, ofcourse their is still a majority of written/typing work. I also passed the course and was invited to the national course which is two years long as opposed to one year as I done well to pass my previous one. I am accepted and have a definite place. When I recieved the letter stating that you would not believe how happy I was.

I am doing a Public Service course which requires a lot of physical activity. I have just finished one year and I am definitely a lot more healthy than I was when I joined, and even then I was still a little active and fit. The course has done something for me so far, it may have something to do with the 10 mile walks and 6 mile runs. I do feel fitter after a day at college, ofcourse their is still a majority of written/typing work. I also passed the course and was invited to the national course which is two years long as opposed to one year as I done well to pass my previous one. I am accepted and have a definite place. When I recieved the letter stating that you would not believe how happy I was.

I was mainly referring to your age.
I lost my ability to eat whatever I want around turning 20, even though I spent upwards of 4-6 hours a day at the gym.

I was mainly referring to your age.
I lost my ability to eat whatever I want around turning 20, even though I spent upwards of 4-6 hours a day at the gym.

Oh I see. Well it is not only my high metabolism and daily excercise that keep me like this, I am also genetically thin. My whole fathers side of the family are all slim and slender and have remained so, and I just inherited that gene. It is supposed to be dangerous to be esxtremely thin unless you are born like it and have inherited it from other family members in some way. So I am held back from growing bigger by so many levels it's ridiculous. ^^;

It's really up to your lifestyle. If you have time to do 2-3 hours of cardio a day, then by all means go low-intensity. Personally, I just load up 1-2 episodes of anime on my iPod and go on the elliptical to watch them. Much better use of time than sitting on your ass in front of the computer.

anyways id like to ask the opinion of the people on this thread - is cardio better high intensity short time or low intensity long time? no high intensity long time is not an option

That was my sophomore year in college, so...

1.5-2 hours of weights right after classes.
(dinner, studying, etc. in between)
1.5-2 hours of weights after all of that.
1-2 hours of swimming.

Looking back on it, swimming after training is not a good idea. I probably lost a good bit of muscle mass because of that. Also, if you're going to do split training like that, better to go morning/afternoon than what I did. Not much time (few hours) between sessions.